Lewis, who dazzled in 2015 before tearing his ACL, has almost become an afterthought in a running back corps that now boasts recent free agents Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead, not to mention returning Super Bowl hero James White. While some have speculated that Lewis could get squeezed out of a roster spot because of the numbers crunch, it's hard to imagine the Patriots would be willing to release the veteran back based on how he has performed in spring practices. If any team could use four different running backs effectively over the course of a season, it would be the Patriots, right? It's become the Belichick way; different players having bigger roles against certain teams. Of course, the team could make another off-season move to reduce its crowded running back stable and try to trade Lewis. The question is how much value he would actually have on the open market since he's been so injury-prone throughout his NFL career. At this point, it’s hard to consider Lewis as a draftable commodity -- but we all know that can change as the season draws near. In that regard, Lewis is worth watching.

Dion Lewis 2016 Outlook

According to ESPN.com, Lewis' recovery from a torn right ACL on Nov. 8 has been encouraging to Dr. James Andrews, who performed surgery on Lewis Nov. 18. When Lewis visited Andrews in January for a routine check-in, the feeling was that things were exactly where they should be, if not better. Indeed, Lewis was able to get in some work during the team's June OTAs and mini-camp. The Patriots still figure to take it slowly with Lewis in training camp, but at this point, there's no reason to think Lewis won't be available when the games count. One question the Patriots have to consider is if it's too risky to ask the speedster to handle a workload similar to the one they gave him in 2015 before his injury. He's a dangerous offensive weapon with mountains of upside, but fantasy owners looking to invest will have to deal with multiple levels of risk. Remember, James White fared reasonably well after Lewis' injury, and there will be a power back in the mix as well. You'll want to watch Lewis' progress carefully when training camp opens.